Identifying sustainability priorities among value chain actors in artisanal common octopus fisheries

The United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science highlights a need to improve the way in which scientific results effectively inform action and policies regarding the ocean. Our research contributes to achieving this goal by identifying practical actions, barriers, stakeholder contributions and resources required to increase the sustainability of activities carried out in the context of artisanal fisheries to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) Global Action Plan (GAP) Pillar targets. We conducted a novel ‘social value chain analysis’ via a participatory workshop to elicit perspectives of value chain actors and fisheries stakeholders associated with two Spanish artisanal common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) fisheries (western Asturias—Marine Stewardship Council [MSC] certified, and Galicia—non-MSC certified) about their priorities regarding sustainable octopus production and commercialization. Our adapted Rapfish sustainability framework emphasised the importance of economic, environmental, ethical, institutional, social, and technological indicators to different actors across the value chain. We mapped participants’ shared sustainability priorities (e.g. integrated fisheries management, knowledge-based management, product traceability) to six Rapfish indicators, seven IYAFA Pillars and twelve SDGs to reveal how our results can inform ocean policy and actions. This identified how certification incentives and other cooperative approaches can facilitate environmental, economic and social sustainability (e.g. value-added products, price premiums for producers, gender inclusive organisations); support IYAFA priority outcomes (raised awareness, strengthened science-policy interface, empowered stakeholders, partnerships); and help to achieve UN SDG targets (e.g. SDG 14.b, SDG 17.17). The results can inform actors, stakeholders and policymakers about how different actors contribute to efforts to achieve the SDGs and how to manage priorities for sustainable actions within artisanal fisheries and their value chains. We recommend inclusive and equitable participatory knowledge transfer and governance platforms as part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science and beyond where participants can create theories of change towards sustainability involving the development of multi-sectoral ocean policies framed at the level of the value chain and supported by appropriate governance structures. Graphical Abstract Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11160-023-09768-5.


Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias
Galicia (Pitcher et al. 2013 (Otero et al. 2005(Otero et al. , 2008Amigo Dobaño et al. 2009;Puig 2012 In 2000, the regional fishing authority approved an Octopus Management Plan for this fishery, with the aim to secure environmental (stock) and socioeconomic sustainability (increasing profitability levels and first-sale prices).
An evaluation conducted by Bureau Veritas prior to MSC certification in 2016 showed that the octopus population of the Asturian west coast was in a healthy situation and that the fishery was well managed, with minimal impact on the marine ecosystem.
Exploitation is currently considered to be biologically sustainable but economic return is below Stock status at the Galician level is unknown.
Overfishing is a key point for the artisanal fisheries segment.
Need to align management measures with biological reference points to avoid long-term reductions in stock productivity: knowledge of biological aspects of O. vulgaris population is a priority. 1kg minimum.
1kg minimum. Some desire to increase legal size to raise market price and income of fishers with fewer impacts on stock. Recruitment variability of exploited octopus population A stock evaluation for the western Asturian octopus fishery is now available due to the detailed landings data produced by the comanagement plan. Thus, Harvest Control Rules are no longer set by a simple precautionary principle (as previously) but by objective application of a population dynamics model which is updated every year. This achievement has been possible due to close collaboration between the University of Oviedo, the fisheries administration of the Principality of Asturias and an expert in population modelling.
Landings and abundance indices show high inter-annual variability which depend on upwelling conditions in Galicia or other environmental parameters like rainfall in the Gulf of Cadiz. Such environmental drivers could be used for short term predictions and inseason management.
Landings have decreased in recent years likely related to environmental variation in Galician estuaries, pollution, overfishing and ineffective monitoring and control. In the Lugo fishery, monitoring is in place to collect data on catches and biological data, but no independent abundance surveys are carried out.

Selective fishing factors Discards
Due to its high value O. vulgaris is rarely discarded and undersized specimens are considered to have a high survival rate when returned to the sea. Approximately 85% of by-catch is discarded and echinoderms account for 98% of discarded species.

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Sustainability indicators
Attributes Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
By-catch There is a desire among fishers to enforce a limit on the by-catch of octopus by vessels engaged in other coastal fisheries.
Around 30% of total biomass caught by octopus fishers comprises by-catch including ~180 species and ~40 additional species groups. Approximately 15% of by-catch is commercialised or consumed and the remainder discarded.
An MSC pre-assessment evaluation of the Lugo province fishery found that the fishery is quite selective with no major by-catch species or impacts in the system. There is also a lack of information regarding bait species and alternative measures to mitigate by-catch mortality. Spatial (geographical) stability factors Migratory range of target octopus Limited seasonal migrations: it is located in deeper waters during winter and shallower waters during summer Technological evaluation Fleet capacity in relation to resource Although other vessels can fish in the waters of the certified fishery, only the 27 MSC registered vessels are entitled to use the certification and to enter octopus from the fishery into the four auction ports of Navia-Porcía included in the MSC certificate. There is a limit of 125 pots per fisherman with a maximum of 350 pots per boat.
Measures to control fishing effort include an annual catch limit of In 2019, 1217 small-scale vessels were authorised to fish with octopus traps. The octopus has been a very attractive species for artisanal vessels in the region because it reaches significantly higher firstsale prices than those registered by most of sea products commercialised in the regional fishing guilds. Octopus is a strategic resource for this fleet and for the Certification has led to stability in prices. The certification has allowed the establishment a "future auction" system. In this procedure, the price is fixed for all the catches made in the following 15 days. The price is no longer subject to the daily supply-demand. Rate of change in profitability Before MSC certification, the octopus' price in all ports of Asturias was very similar with an average of the annual price around 4.89 €/Kg. After 2015, there was a general increase in market prices of Asturian octopus, although this increase has been more relevant for those ports with the MSC certification. Thus, the average of the annual prices in MSC-certified ports increased up to 8.01 €/Kg versus the average of the rest of the ports in Asturias with an average price of 6.93 €/Kg. Hence, the certified ports benefitted from a price premium of 15.2% over the average price of the uncertified product. The small-scale fisheries segment generates a greater volume of employment than income, whereas for the coastal fleet the opposite is more often the case. Therefore if operational objectives of ecosystem management consist of increasing or protecting employment in the Galician aquaculture and fisheries sector, the measures ought to be focused on intervention and aid for the more artisanal segments. If the priority aims consist of generating income, the measures adopted ought to be aimed at the more industrialized sectors with higher average outputs.

Marketing system
Prior to certification, most of the western octopus fleet boats chose to sell their catches in the auctions of their own home ports. The main buyers were wholesalers, although a small part of the sales in the auctions were made directly to retailers and restaurants. There was a high degree of concentration and buyer power.
Market research was conducted on the eco-labelled octopus in Central Europe: Italy, France and the Benelux. The study analyzed the possibilities of accessing to the An analysis of the relationship between the auction and wholesale links of the Galician common octopus markets confirmed that the average price of octopus was much higher at the wholesale level than the auction level and that variations in the price in any of the two levels of the marketing chain considered would lead to variations in the price of the other link, thus not confirming the leadership of one market over another. However, the causal relationship between prices at the auction level and prices at the In Galicia there is an open harbour auction system in 36 fish markets around the coast. The highest quantities (I Jan 2021 -4 Nov 2021) were sold in Ribeira (235,386 kg), A Coruna (total 225,583 kg) and Vigo (129,220). Sales prices differ at each market with highest average sales prices for this period found in Redondela (11.61 Euros/kg), Barallobre (10 Euros/kg) and Cangas (9 Euros/kg).

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
international market. A commercial plan for the certified octopus was elaborated. MSC chain of custody certified traders were contacted. Commercialization tests were carried out. A sale system was established, which consists of a future auction (auction of the captures to be made in the next fifteen days). The first total campaign with certified octopus was 2016-2017.
Certification facilitated access to new markets which led to an increase in and diversification of demand.
Most production (around 80 tons every year) is sold to a Spanish firm specializing in the transformation of octopus which sells the processed product with the MSC label abroad (e.g. the USA, Canada, Japan). wholesale level is stronger than the relationship in the opposite direction. In short, the existence of a stable long-term connection between both links in the octopus marketing chain reveals the possibility of implementing measures that reinforce market power and, therefore, the position of the fishermen in the pricing mechanism. However, the process of fixing prices in markets through public auctions does not allow important characteristics of the Galician product (e.g. quality, freshness) to be sufficiently highlighted. To strengthen the power of the fishermen, management measures should be implemented aimed at adding value to the product at origin (thus allowing the increase in the income level of the fishermen), or else, in another management, favoring a change in the business dimension or the system of fishing rights, in such a way that they allow a broader margin of strategic action by companies. The regulation must make fishing activity compatible, in any case, with the conservation of populations and the balance of ecosystems in the medium and long term. All these considerations may be of special interest due to the importance of the contribution of fishing exploitation for Galicia.
Auctions sell landings from local fleets and take place at harbours. Traditionally, local wholesalers, retailers and restaurateurs were the main buyers at the auctions, but today large wholesalers and retail chains are also present, mostly at all important auctions along the coast.

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Equity of economic benefits
There is no clear hierarchy among crewmembers and the retribution system is by shares of the net profits.
Evidence of a price premium for certified octopus products is very important because most former studies about the price premium in eco-labelled seafood products were based mainly on consumer preferences and they did not reflect clearly whether this premium was also obtained in other stages of the value chain.
First sale price for fresh octopus landed in Galicia includes auction fees and may be half the final retail price.

Ports of Ribeira, A Coruna
and Vigo sold 44% of fresh octopus sold in Galicia in 2020.
Costs for the processor to transform fresh Galician octopus for sale frozen in a supermarket include gutting losses, processing costs (freezing, packaging, transport) and processor margin.
In 2017, Frigoríficos Rosa de los Vientos, S.L. was a finalist in the Blue Economy Awards and created 4 new jobs in collaboration with Emprega Marín, Cogami and the Red Cross, thanks to the introduction of Octopus Fumet, its new production line.

Transport costs.
Retail price can be double the first sale price due to wholesaler costs, purchase price for retail platform, transport to retailer, retailer costs and margin and VAT.

Commoditizatio n
Another important finding of this research is that the positive impact of eco-labelling and certification on O. vulgaris prices is the time span necessary to get the economic benefits since the observed effect has been obtained after the first year of the MSC implementation. One explanation of this result could be in that MSC-certified octopus is a product with a very limited supply (around 80 tons in Spain and 190 tons in Australia), but an increasing demand in the world. Hence, considering the economic benefit obtained by fishers and the speed to There is a desire among some fishers to develop marketing around an easy to identify product, with consistent quality at the regional level, to encourage consumers to choose it as a local resource from an environmentally sustainable artisanal fishery.
The Xunta de Galicia has two certification programs providing hallmarks of quality and provenance for the promotion and defence of Galician products. 'Galicia Calidade' (https://www.galiciacalidade .gal/ES/home) certifies the origin of Galician products and 'pescadeRias' (https://deondesenon.xunta.g al/es) certifies products have been fished by the artisanal fleet in Galicia.
Pulponor is the authorised distributor of the 'Polbo de Lonxa' brand under which the octopus caught by the cofradias from Finisterre, Corcubion, Lira, Murros, Ou Pindo and Porto de Son is sold through the virtual platform 'Lonxa na Rede'. Pulponor's 'Polbo de Lonxa' brand guarantees the origin and quality of the octopus to consumers. The 'Polbo de Lonxa' label identifies the product at point of sale and in

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
obtain it, we can infer that ecolabelling is a good tool to differentiate seafood products in the market, especially for small or artisanal productions.
Some octopus processing companies have been certified 'Galicia Calidade', (e.g. Gallego Pereira, Rosa de los Vientos), indicating the raw materials are of Galician origin or provide added value.
Frigorifico Moldes octopus products are certified 'pescadeRias' signifying they come from inshore fishing that is landed daily in the ports of the Autonomous Community of Galicia.
Frigoríficos Rosa de los Vientos, S.L. has established a new line including the revaluation of by-products, which allows it to market a new product: "Octopus croquettes".
With this investment with funding from the European Union, Frigoríficos Rosa de los Vientos, S.L. contributes to the valorization and promotion of local fishing products, favoring employment, social inclusion and economic growth of the territory.
the hospitality establishments where it is sold.
The Lonxa na Rede platform was born with the aim of making the 'Polbo de Lonxa' brand accessible to large and medium-sized buyers through the network without them having to physically go to the market. This way they will be able to offer their customers 'Polbo de Lonxa': an octopus with its own Galician brand of quality and good price.
Asturpesca has been certified under the MSC Chain of Custody standard since 2016 in favour of sustainable fishing which covers distribution of common octopus caught with traps by boats belonging to the Tapia de Casariego, Viavelez, Puerta de Vega and Ortiguera fishermen's guilds (cofradias).

Import/export markets
Prior to MSC certification, the marketing of octopus caught within the Management Plan took place mainly through the Asturian fish markets, with a relatively low percentage being sold outside of them.
Galicia has a centuries long history of exporting octopus products to other Spanish regions and overseas (e.g. Portugal).
Price of frozen octopus imported into Galicia from Morocco and sold cooked by a Spanish retailer may be one third of the retail price.

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
Currently 90% of the certified catch is destined for export.
Most eco-labelled production (around 80 tons every year) is sold to a Spanish firm specializing in the transformation of octopus which sells the processed product with the MSC label abroad (e.g. the USA, Canada, Japan).
Small amounts of MSC certified Asturias octopus (15 tonnes/year) are directly exported via traders to markets where the demand for ecolabelled fish products is high (Northern Europe, USA, and Switzerland). The price premium usually reaches +20-25%. Value transmission Before MSC certification, the octopus' price in all ports of Asturias was very similar with an average of the annual price around 4.89 €/Kg. After 2015, there was a general increase in market prices of Asturian octopus, although this increase has been more relevant for those ports with the MSC certification. Thus, the average of the annual prices in MSC-certified ports increased up to 8.01 €/Kg versus the average of the rest of the ports in Asturias with an average price of 6.93 €/Kg. Hence, the certified ports benefitted from a price premium of 15.2% over the average price of the uncertified product. The Octopus Management Plan is a co-management tool for the species of interest. In this regard, local fishing guilds (located in the ports of Cudillero, Oviñana, Luarca, Puerto de Vega, Ortiguera, Viavélez,Tapia de Casariego and Figueras) and regional authorities cooperate to define regulatory measures and monitor key parameters in the octopus fishery. Each season, smallscale boats officially registered as multi-gear in the Cantabrian and Northwest fishing ground -CNW (and, exceptionally, some bottom long-liners) based at the aforementioned eight fishing ports apply to the regional fishing authority for a license to operate in this fishery.
As a result of the ecolabelling process, members of different fishermen guilds (cofradias) work together for the first time and create the association "ARPESOS" (Association of Shipowners of the Octopus Fisheries with a Sustainability Certificate).
Pulponor is a cooperative that groups orders and services in such a way that their customers obtain significant savings in price and cost. They act as a purchasing centre to establish strategic alliances for all parties to obtain benefits.
Pulponor claim the following principles and values of the International Cooperative Alliance: commitment to the community; promotion of training, information and education; voluntary membership; autonomy and independence; cooperation between cooperatives; democratic management; economic participation.

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
Cofradias offer social assistance to fisher members, manage fishing activities inside their coastal territories of influence, have power over membership and fishing rights, integrate either the whole population or those belonging to a specific fishery in a fishing town, and include both vessel owners and crew. Leadership High media impact of the project enables the fishery to be identified as the first MSC-certified octopus worldwide with the Navia-Porcía region. Fishermen effort in favor of sustainability is recognized.
Pulponor states the following values on its website: mutual help, responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, solidarity.
Pulponor claim the following principles and values of the International Cooperative Alliance: commitment to the community; promotion of training, information and education; voluntary membership; autonomy and independence; cooperation between cooperatives; democratic management; economic participation.

Asturpesca
claims social responsibility by committing to improving their socioeconomic environment and rejecting behaviours that violate the dignity of people. Asturpesca claims to firmly believe in equal opportunities and non-discrimination for reasons of age, gender or country of origin, resulting in a workforce in which diversity is one of its values. Women, account for more than 60% of the workforce, and lead the majority of positions of responsibility in the company Individual cofradias are organised into regional and national federations to promote the interests of fishing members and communities. Artisanal fishing knowledge has traditionally been transmitted from one generation to another.

Rapfish evaluation
Fishers contribute LEK to on-board observations (e.g. seafloor type) and modification of annual experimental management plans according to the particular topography of the coast and the status of the resource. Some fishers were involved in mapping the octopus fishing grounds based on their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) Fishers to owners ratio 95.5% of the ship-owners work on board as one more crewmember. Artisanal vessels are normally family owned where there is no clear hierarchy among crewmembers and the retribution system is by shares of the incomes. 1-3 crewmembers per vessel.
Mainly family companies. There is an average of 2-3 crewmembers per vessel (range 1-6), suggesting 2400-3600 fishers are involved in the fishery.

Adjacency
Most artisanal crewmembers come from coastal communities close to the fishing port where the vessels operate confirming the existence of strong bonds between the artisanal fleet and regional coastal communities.
Octopus is caught in intertidal and subtidal zones close to the coastline and auctioned at 51 fish markets around the coast. Fleets operate in the Rias with mixed gears, catching high value species (e.g. crustaceans, mollusks, ground fish) which are sold fresh in the fish markets of each maritime zone at daily auctions.
Cofradias' positive values include: a) proximity to and relationship with the environment, with a high level of knowledge and dependency; b) signs of identity, linked to the population's identification with the sea and the marine environment; c) associative tradition, including the culture of collaboration and adaptive ability, also of a strategic nature [8].
Pulponor is situated in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, in close proximity to the artisanal fisheries that supply their octopus products.
Asturpesca is situated in Aviles, Asturias, in close proximity to the artisanal fisheries that supply their octopus products.

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Iconicity
Regional icon: O. vulgaris is one of the main seven species fished by artisanal fleets.
Regional icon: O. vulgaris has been fished in Galicia since at least the 12 th Century AD and is one of the most important marine invertebrates fished in the region.

Consumption of octopus at traditional popular fairs is currently a preeminent activity
Pulponor's 'Polbo de Lonxa' brand guarantees the origin and quality of the octopus to consumers. The 'Polbo de Lonxa' label identifies the product at point of sale and in the hospitality establishments where it is sold. Equity of access Current generational replacement perspectives for the artisanal vessels are quite low in terms of ship-owners passing on the business to younger members of the family. The longer the vessel the higher the probability of a younger family member taking on the activity in the future possibly because longer vessels are less dependent on climatic conditions therefore longer vessels are able to generate a more stable income flow, which is more attractive to younger generations.

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
Only artisanal fleets are authorised to fish for octopus. Just governance The Octopus Management Plan is a co-management tool by which local fishing guilds (located in the ports of Cudillero, Oviñana, Luarca, Puerto de Vega, Ortiguera, Viavélez,Tapia de Casariego and Figueras) and regional authorities cooperate to define regulatory measures and monitor key parameters in the octopus fishery.
There are three management zones in the Galicia region (A, B, C) and three different co-management plans (one per zone). Annual experimental management plans are implemented differently along the coast, and allow modifications or complementing of the general basic rules according to the particular topography of the coast and the status of the resource in comanagement with the local fishers Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing There is a substantial amount of illegal commercial catch, which has been estimated to range between 20-50 % of the total reported catches in 2010, and there is also a substantial number of recreational fishers selling octopus directly to restaurants, illegally. There was a discrepancy of 30 % in catches between 1998 and 2000, which can be due to misreporting or illegal selling (out the official auctions). However, better control and monitoring programs appear to have contributed to a substantial reduction of illegal practices over the last few years. In addition, advances in co-management processes in recent years have reduced social conflicts, and consequently increased compliance with regulations.
There was a notable mismatch between estimated catches and official landings that decreased towards the final part of the analysed There has been a clear improvement of the reputation of the fishery in the region. They have obtained or at least reinforced the "Social Licence" that allows them to operate in their places. Since obtaining the MSC certification the fishery took part and appeared in many interviews in radio, TV, social media, press, etc and reinforced the perception of their activity as legitimate and socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

Rapfish evaluation
Fisheries management in this region is shared by two administrations, the Galician Autonomous Government (Xunta de Galicia) and the National Government. The former is responsible for the management, monitoring and control of fisheries in Galician inshore waters, while the latter regulates offshore waters. There is a specific legal corpus for fisheries in Galician inshore waters with several regulations in force for the octopus fishery, setting rules about the gear which can be deployed, operating procedures, area of operation for different types Pulponor claim the following principles and values of the International Cooperative Alliance: commitment to the community; promotion of training, information and education; voluntary membership; autonomy and independence; cooperation between cooperatives; democratic management; economic participation.

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
of octopus traps, maximum amount of traps per vessel, the minimum landing weight, and the annual management plans for the octopus fishery. The management plan is established by fishing season (from June to May of the following year) and is usually implemented differently along the coast, allowing for modifications or complementing the general basic rules, according to the status of the resource, in comanagement with the local fishers. The most recent management plan established the rules for the octopus fishery for the 2020-2021 season, and includes, amongst other measures, closed seasons (from May 29th to July 1st, 2020), minimum weight of catches (currently 1 kg), maximum daily catches taking into account the number of crew members onboard of the vessel, and the number of traps per working hour at sea.
The Xunta de Galicia has fisheries management powers in internal waters (e.g. maritime areas between the rias and the coastline), therefore the octopus fishing sector depends on the definition of rights, planning and regulation by the Xunta which has developed its own fisheries Laws: enshrined in Law 11/2008, modified by Law 6/ 2009, including operational decrees and directives.
Galicia has 63 cofradias with approximately 12,700 members. The cofradias are the most

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Sustainability indicators
Attributes Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
traditional figure in terms of fishers adopting means of association via collective action strategies with regard to production, commercialization and representation processes, or in response to exercising certain collectively defined rights. Cofradias are regulated by Law 9/1993 (with modifications) and Decree 8/2014 which develop regulations at constitutional, collective action and operational levels. Transparency Pre-assessment of the fishery was conducted according to MSC standards with the aim of detecting weak points which were corrected before starting the certification process.
The evaluation of the fishery was carried out and medium-term improvement actions for sustainability were planned. External auditors assessed compliance with 3 principles and 28 indicators of sustainability. After more than a year of evaluation, on February 10th, 2016, Navia-Porcía fishing fleet obtained the first M.S.C. certification for an octopus fishery worldwide. As part of the monitoring phase, an action plan was designed to improve 4 sustainability indicators with a lower score. This plan included actions for the period 2017-2021. Annual MSC evaluation 2017: The actions of the improvement plan were conducted in the first year and Cofradias in Galicia exhibit several weaknesses including: a) limits in the determination of the scope of actions and the definition of aims: limits as a business; uncertainty as to the rules and possibilities for the future; b) limited control over and ability to influence market processes and globalisation; c) limited influence over the future of the regulatory framework; d) confluence or interference of individual interests exercised in continuous short-term actions, with collective interests and a long-term vision of sustainability: this confluence generally stems from situations where abilities to define strategies and agreements are restricted (high transaction costs). In this context, the tendency to replicate conservative (not conservationist) positions can be better understood, opening the door to individual actions with opportunistic, short-term objectives.
Asturpesca, as part of the MSC Chain of Custody requirement, provides the following kinds of information on its octopus product labels:

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
phases of processes, the general trend is and has been to maintain the status quo, proposing classic and short-range adjustments in the face of problems (basic modifications via inputs, outputs and closures), trying to "resolve complaints" by minimising changes and impacts and not declaring medium or long-term objectives.
Operational level. This is the level where there is room for individual initiatives on the part of cofradías in management affairs. Here, the aforementioned confluence or interference of collective and individual interests is perceived. To the extent that the room for manoeuvre is limited and the participants multiple, agreements on maximums are improbable and opportunistic actions increase. This trend augments if i) there are disincentives for compliance: inadequate or inefficient control and penalty mechanisms; ii) there is a high degree of heterogeneity within each cofradía and between different cofradías.

Inclusiveness
Fishermen get involved in the management of the fishery through the "Consultative Committee" by taking part in decision making. Belonging to the cofradia group in Galicia is linked to the territory and the activity, but now with the established legal requirements relating to the control of fishing intensity. The right to belong is defined by law, and the cofradía itself cannot exclude (which can, however, occur in other associations), but membership is non-obligatory. The group will, in any case, adopt it as a protection system for its own members against outsiders.
a workforce in which diversity is one of its values. Women, account for more than 60% of the workforce, and lead the majority of positions of responsibility in the company and the Management Committee is mostly female. Other professions linked to the sea are no longer a part of the small-scale fishing communities and are not taken into account in the current legal make-up of the cofradías, such as commercial activities beyond the first sale, supplies, processing, equipment and the construction of fishing vessels, etc. In fact, under the current legal definition, the consultation, collaboration and representation functions of cofradías refer expressly to the fisheries sector and those working in the industry.

Fairness
The Western Asturias Octopus Monitoring Committee facilitates engagement between fishermen, administration, scientists and NGOs to discuss management measures before they are formalised. Since certification, the fishery has delivered various economic, social and environmental benefits including higher relative prices for eco-labelled products where the premium is obtained across the The cofradías in Galicia continue maintaining their objectives regarding social welfare, representation and insertion in the social fabric of Galicia. In the process, new social values and trends are incorporated, the activity and increased professionalism of women in the sector being widely recognised, especially in the shellfishing sector. In general, the idea of the group and cooperation is Pulponor states the following values on its website: mutual help, responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, solidarity.
Pulponor claim the following principles and values of the International Cooperative Alliance: commitment to the community; promotion of training, information and Cofradias have a strong presence in coastal matters as representatives of local fishers However, their capability to sway policies is complex, partially due to their lack of technical staff in most cases. Furthermore, coordinating their demands with those of the public administration to further their interests can be difficult (Alegret 2000), taking into account the possible conflicts among organisations and leaderships. No less important are the linkages that sometimes develop between cofradía leaders and political parties, creating clientelism. Financing cofradías activities depends partially on regional government funds, and this further contributes to the complexity of relationships.

Rapfish evaluation
Pulponor is a cooperative that groups orders and services in such a way that their customers obtain significant savings in price and cost. They act as a purchasing centre to establish strategic alliances for all parties to obtain benefits.
Pulponor claim the following principles and values of the International Cooperative Alliance: commitment to the community; promotion of training, information and education; voluntary membership; autonomy and independence; cooperation between cooperatives; democratic management; economic participation. Fishermen as well as managers and researchers became part of the certification process through meetings and technical conferences.
Cooperation among different local agents as fishers, fishers' guilds, and local authorities to implement the MSC eco-labelling schemes in the small-scale fishery provides economic and environmental benefits for coastal communities which depend on traditionally artisanal fishing methods.
The potential for cooperation is substantive but the attributes of the governance system and actors have hampered this possibility. If the experiences of cooperation in the past are an important factor in building trust, relationships of conflict or impunity in the face of non-compliance with the rules decrease trust and reduce the reciprocity of those willing to cooperate to maintain the resource.

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
Members of different fishermen guilds work together for the first time. Create the association "ARPESOS" (Association of Shipowners of the Octopus Fisheries with a Sustainability Certificate). The diagnosis confirms a high level of anomie, linked to dysfunctions in the motivations of the actors to comply with the rules. Systematic non-compliance in turn discourages the formation of social norms, makes the violation of norms attractive rules given the low risk of being discovered, the low cost of the sanction or even the impunity for certain infractions. And, finally, those who would like to cooperate feel powerless and follow the dominant strategy. Failure of the governance system to incentivize and ensure cooperation reinforces the importance of trust. Lack of trust operates as a barrier to designing and maintaining management measures. Some fishermen may not comply with the formal rules because they believe or claim to know that others will not comply. In the octopus fishery in Galicia, the interaction between trust and institutions seems immersed in a perverse cycle in which the levels of cooperation are low and mistrust feeds on itself.

Conflict [resilience]
There are several potential levels of conflict, both within the Galician cofradías themselves as well as in relation with other agents of the same sector or the immediate environment (e.g. relating to management activities, information activities, information levels, decision-making processes, monitoring and control activities, and external relations activities). Staying with the former, in presentday cofradías the differences in Spain is a signatory to UNCLOS and a member of WTO, UNCTAD and FAO agreements. Spain has established an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Atlantic Ocean (Law 15/1978). In 2017, Spain adopted the Royal Decree 363/2017 of 8 April establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning, which transposes into Spanish legislation Directive 2014/89/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2015, establishing a framework for maritime spatial planning (MSP). The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is the responsible MSP authority for fisheries. The Law on the Protection of the Marine Environment (Ley de protección del medio marino, Law 41/2010) transposed into national legislation the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and regulates the maritime areas within the 'maritime-terrestrial public domain', which includes the territorial waters and natural resources in the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf. Autonomous regions with jurisdiction over the marine environment (e.g. Asturias and Galicia) participate in all phases of the development and implementation of the Spanish Marine Strategies according to the Law on the Protection of the Marine Environment = MSFD).

Rapfish evaluation
The octopus fishery in Galicia is carried out according to management plans arranged by the regional government which include closed seasons (from May to July), minimum size of catches (currently 1 kg), maximum daily catches taking into account the number of crew members, limited number of traps of working hours at sea, and similar measures.
The recent decline in landings since 2010 is explained by the interaction

Rapfish evaluation
Common octopus value chain (Asturias and Galicia)

Attributes
Producers Intermediaries (Collection from 1 st producer point)

Retailers (Wholesalers, HORECA, fishmongers, supermarkets) Asturias Galicia
of environmental variations in the Galician estuaries (rias), pollution, overfishing, and ineffective monitoring of rules. Official catch figures are, however, offset by the illegal catch of Octopus vulgaris, which is estimated to range between 20-50% of total reported catches in 2010, while the number of recreational fishers selling octopus to restaurants is also substantial (Villasante et al. 2015). Nevertheless, better control and monitoring programs with more sustainable fishing appear to have contributed to a substantial reduction of illegal practices over the last years.

Effectiveness
The fishery is under the process of continuous improvement of the sustainability indicators. These are reviewed annually (annual external evaluation by independent auditors). New control measures of exploitation (HCR) which are sensitive to the evolution of the stock (e.g. quota per week and crew) and surveillance systems of fishing effort (e.g. marking off the traps) have been introduced. The scientific campaigns have been intensified with the participation of the fishermen (GPs, data collection, etc.).